The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-08

evident, that all men are created
equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights; that among these are
life, liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness; that to secure these rights
governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed;
that whenever any form ofgovern-
ment becomes destructive of these
ends, it is the right of the people
to alter or abolish it, and to insti-
tute new government, laying its
foundation on such principles, and
organizing its powers in such form
as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their safety and happi-
ness"
In these few memorable words,
we have, as ! conceive, the very
essence of all the wisdom of all
the true statesmen of the world.
In them is distinctly defined the
only function that can be properly
performed by a government
the only valid reason that can be
assigned for permitting it to exist.
This sole function is, ito secure
these rights, the 'inalienable
rights" of the individual. If it
fails to secure these rights, it fails
in the only proper object its ex-
istence. In this case it becomes,
at best, a mere nullity, not entitled
to either our respect or our sup
port. If it transcends this sole
object of its existence,-if it as
sumes to possess rights of its own,
-rights(?) destructive of the
inalieuable rights of the individual,
then it becomes a usurpation, a
despotism, a positive evil, an enc
my to the people; and 1T is the
right of the people to alter or to
abolish it. And this is true of
ANY form Of government" and at
any time. 1t is just as true of our
own form of government, at the
present time, as it was of the En-
glish form of government, when
these words were spoken, over a
hundred years ago. No govern
ment can possess any rights of its
own,-not even the right, in itself,
to exist. At best, it can claim
only the privilege of existing for
the good of the individuals who
compose it. Or rather, it is the
privilege of these individuals to
have it exist for the protection of
their common inalienable rights.
Since 1T is the right of the peo-
pie to alter or to abolish" the ex-
isting government whenever"
in their opinion, it has become
destructive of any of their "in-
alienable rights" and since it is
utterly impossible for all of the
people, at the same moment, to
arrive at and to express the same
opinion in regard to these things,
since it is clearly the right of
any individual, at any time, to ar
rive at and to express the opinion
that our existing form of govern
ment has become destructive of
these rights" those individalus
have simply exercised this clearly
defined right, who have already
arrived at and expressed this opin-
ion, and who have advocated alter
ing or abolishing this form of gov
ernment, and instituting "a new
government, laying its foundation
on such principles, and organizing
its powers iu such form, as to them
= seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness. !"
Every individual, too, has an
equally we'll defined right to en-
tertain and to express his opinion
as TO the best methods of abolish
ing the existing form of govern
ment and of instituting the new.
Those individuals. then, whether
they be called anarchists or not,
who have already entertained and
expressed opinions in regard to